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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Outrage brewing over proposed 1,900% beer tax hike |
| 2009-02-16 |
| Five Oregon state lawmakers want to impose a hefty tax on beer and have introduced a bill that brewers say would cripple them. Four Portland legislators joined a Springfield senator to introduce Oregon House Bill 2461, which would impose a $49.61 tax on each barrel of beer produced by Oregon brewers. The tax would raise revenue for the state at a time when budgets are running in the red. Specifically, the bill says it would fund prevention, treatment and recovery programs for those addicted to alcohol and other substances. It also defends the tax by claiming alcoholism and "untreated substance abuse" costs the state $4.15 billion in "lost earnings" as well as more than $8 million for health care and nearly $1 billion in law enforcement-related expenditures. HB 2461 claims Oregon ranks 49th among states in its malt beverage taxation rate, which has not been raised in 32 years. Brewers say it's that low tax that makes Oregon such an attractive business climate for crafting beers, though. The state's brewery guild claims it would also amount to the single largest beer tax hike in the nation's history. Laurelwood Public House & Brewing Co. owner Mike De Kalb said the tax may sound like a good idea in this economic climate, but that in reality it would cost more Oregonians their jobs and would only amount to about $140 million in new tax revenue for the state. Meanwhile, it would cost beer drinkers about $315 million as breweries are forced to pass along the tax increase. "We're a family-owned, local Portland business. We don't want to see something cost taxpayers more than the revenue it would bring in," De Kalb said. "If that tax is passed it would mean consumers would pay $315 million more (in 2009) to buy the same amount of beer they bought in 2008. A pint of beer would go from $4.50 to $6." De Kalb said Oregon would potentially lose its prominence as a craft-brew destination and that some small breweries could potentially go out of business. He said Laurelwood could possibly face job cuts as well. Prior versions of the beer tax bill have exempted small breweries but this one does not, he added. House Bill 2461 has been introduced by Portland Reps. Ben Cannon and Michael Dembrow, Portland Sens. Jackie Dingfelder and Diane Rosenbaum, and Springfield Sen. William Morrisette |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #10 mom, you've managed to live a very unsheltered life. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-02-16 22:05 |
| #9 You're very welcome, Hellfish. You should have a beer with my friend the cop, so she can tell you what it's like to sweep a teenager's teeth and jawbone off the pavement. |
| Posted by: mom 2009-02-16 21:31 |
| #8 yeah thanks for that mom |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2009-02-16 20:06 |
| #7 Where to move.. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2009-02-16 18:20 |
| #6 Tax beer sold in the state, not just beer produced. Let all the beer companies share the pain. If the Wisconsin Legislature ever gets out of the Tavern League's pocket and raises the beer tax, it'll be long overdue. I'm not going to cry over a raise in the beer tax; I will pony up some extra for my sixpack of Fat Squirrel. As far as I know, Wisconsin is the only state in the union where a first time drunk driving offense gets only a ticket. Not surprisingly, we have a hellacious drunk driving problem in this state. Raise the beer tax, and use it to pay for throwing the drunk drivers in jail for 30 to 180 days for the first offense, and quit monkeying around with people's lives and safety. |
| Posted by: mom 2009-02-16 16:50 |
| #5 I already make my own beer. Next they'll be taxing the crap out of beer-making supplies. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2009-02-16 15:42 |
| #4 As well as sharpening our cross-bow pointy things and loading 'round of bullet' ourselves, now we have to make our own beer. |
| Posted by: rhodesiafever 2009-02-16 14:51 |
| #3 couldn't be the abundant hops growing there, huh? nahhhh |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-02-16 14:46 |
| #2 Brewers say it's that low tax that makes Oregon such an attractive business climate for crafting beers, though. Oh...ummmmmm, really? Is that how it works? Well, I'm a politician and can't figure hard stuff like that out. But I doubt it's good "for the children", I'll tell ya that... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-02-16 14:32 |
| #1 Sh*t! I live in Portland, and one of the few good things is the great local beers. I've always tried to use that as a balance against the high concentration of leftest nuggets, but now this?!?!?! Where to move.. sigh. |
| Posted by: Francis 2009-02-16 14:18 |